Awaiting Destiny
by poseidon86
Summary: This is a retelling of Harry Potter's Hogwarts years where he thinks things through a bit more than he does in the books and also where his control of magic is similar to that of Tom Riddle's just before starting Hogwarts. First Person POV.
1. Chapter 1

Destiny Awaits

Authors Note:

Hi all this is my first Harry Potter fanfic and so I ask for your patience and understanding. I've read a lot of fanfiction over the years and thought I'd have a go. I don't claim to have perfect grammar and I know some of the ideas in this fic will have been done before so constructive criticism is always welcome.

My thoughts behind this story is that I want to make Harry a bit more mature and a little bit more like Tom Riddle was at that age without going so far as to completely change the nature of Harry. I always found it unrealistic that Harry would be content and completely innocent after the years with his relatives (he's only human after all) and it always bugged me that there did not seem to be much development in his abilities after Voldemort returns at the end of GOF. Because of this I will be trying to change that in this fic. Saying that, his friends will always be his main motivation once he actually makes some. Also this will not be a super Harry story where everything comes easily to him like becoming an animagus in two weeks with a magical form which shoots thunderbolts out of its eyes and so on.

I intend to go through all of Harry's Hogwarts years playing with various ideas. As for romance, I'm currently not planning on adding any for the simple reason that I not good at writing it and if I did it may ruin the story. This may change at some point but no promises. Also this fic will be in the first person perspective. Mainly because the majority of fics that I've read are in the third person perspective and I wanted to do something a bit different.

As far as the rating is concerned, I'm going to leave it at T for future violence, deaths, etc.

On that note all I can say is enjoy.

Disclaimer:

All Harry Potter characters, rights and so on belong to J. K. Rowling and I am making no money off of this.

Chapter 1 - Beginnings

Flashes of green light ark in brilliant colours, striking into the heart of the crowd. People fall lifelessly to the ground their open eyes unseeing. The remaining people start screaming as they try to flee to no avail. I look around me to find out what's causing this and I come face to face with a something from a nightmare. Stood there in a dark cloak with glowing red eyes and a familiar snakelike face he trains a wooden stick on me.

"Now Harry Potter, you die alone" the monster cries out wickedly.

The stick flashes and a familiar green light emerges. A whooshing sound accompanies it as it streaks towards me. I know I should move, get out of the way of the light but I cannot, my feet won't obey me. The light hits me in the chest…

I wake up violently, my small cover getting tangled in my legs as I attempt to escape my tormented dreams. Slowly reason returns to me and I realize I am safe and that there is no red eyed monster in front of me but instead lies the darkness of my cupboard.

As I calm my ragged breaths I think back on what I have just dreamt. I know red eyes from somewhere and I've dreamt of green light and screams for as long as I can remember but it does not help and it does not lessen the effect of the dreams on me.

As the last effects of the dream leave me I contemplate my life so far. I've lived at number 4 Privet Drive in Little Whinging with the Dursleys' my aunt Petunia, uncle Vernon and cousin Dudley since my parents were killed in a car crash 10 years ago. The same car crash that left me with a lightning bolt shaped scar on my forehead. They may be related by blood however they've made it quite clear over the years that we are not family. Every chance to belittle or punish me was taken advantage of. If I ever outshone Dudley at school I would be accused of cheating and then be punished accordingly. Life would be so much easier if I stopped trying, if I hid my knowledge and tried to be the perfect slave for them but I can't do that. If I did it would mean they would win and I have too much pride for that. Instead I excel in my studies wherever possible. I am at the top of all my classes and I'm never far from a new book to read. Saying that I don't exactly hide away with books by choice thanks to my cousin, no one wants to be friends with the "freak".

I can honestly say I hate them with every fibre of my being.

There's more to it than simple hate though. They've often commented loudly on how "freakish" I am, especially after one of the "incidents" and at those times I've seen glimmers of fear in their eyes. The "incidents" generally happen when I am scared or angry so of course one of the Dursleys' are usually present. One time Dudley and his friends were chasing me around the school trying to beat the "freakishness" out of me. I ran to hide behind the bins at the back of the school only to find myself a few seconds later standing on the school roof looking down at my confused tormentors. I was locked in my cupboard for a week after that one.

Another time was when my aunt shaved nearly all my hair off trying to tame its usual messy look. That night I dreaded what the other children at school would say the next day and to my surprise and delight when I looked in the mirror, my hair was back to exactly as it was before the shearing. Suffice to say my aunt was horrified.

I'm not stupid. I know I'm different from them. What I can do is almost like magic and since they continually remind me that magic doesn't exist I've decided that's exactly what I'm doing. Since the school incident I've been trying to control what I can do by using different emotions. Anger has so far been the best emotion however I know it's not practical as I can't become angry at a moments notice, plus I don't want to be angry like that all the time. It reminds me too much of red eyes. Recently I've been able to feel something different inside me when I use my gift. It's like an energy flowing through my veins that I can now slightly direct through my hands. It's difficult and many nights I've collapsed from the strain of it but I know I'm getting better. I've actually just recently had my greatest success. My glasses have always been a liability especially with the number of times they've been broken. So I decided to try and fix that. I focused that new energy out of my fingertips and into my eyes concentrating on how desperately I needed them to heal. It hurt there's no denying that but after the pain stopped I could see clearly. I've not needed my glasses since.

I hope to use this gift someday to get away from my relatives but until then all I can do is practice.

I shake my head as I realize it's time for me to make the breakfast for my relatives. I say for them, because I rarely get to have any.

Later after the Dursleys have risen and are eating breakfast, my uncle turns his beady eyes on me.

"Get the mail boy!" he shouts at me with a glower.

I sigh, hang up the towel I am holding and head towards the front door. I pick up the letters and am about to head back to the kitchen when something catches my eye. A letter with my name on it. I look around hurriedly knowing that I have little time. I walk past the stairs and quickly throw the letter into the cupboard as I walk past. There's no way I'm letting them know someone's written to me.

I relax my tense shoulders and try to act as normal as possible as I hand the remaining letters to my uncle and then resume cleaning the dishes. In my years here I've learned patience. I can wait a bit longer to read the letter.

Later that day when I have a bit of time to myself I sit on my bed staring at the letter in my hands. It has the name of my cupboard on it. I open the letter with unsteady hands, it's not written on paper but some kind of thick parchment. As I begin to read each line a sense of shock over powers me. Apparently my assumption of my gift being magic was right and I've been invited to a school called Hogwarts with others who can also do magic.

As my shock decreases a new feeling emerges, worry. The letter says I have to respond by owl but I don't have one. I decide to take one problem at a time. Quickly I tear off a bit of paper from my notepad and begin to write.

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_I have just received your letter and would like to accept your offer to join Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry however I do not know anything about where to get the required supplies and neither do I have any money to purchase them. Could you please let me know if there is some kind of scholarship fund available. Also I have never heard of the wizarding world before your letter so could you please provide me with more information?_

_Your Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter._

With that I sneak outside and look around. At first I see nothing but suddenly a dark steak flying down in front of me. It's an owl and it's holding it's let out towards me expectantly. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth I tie the letter and watch on as the owl takes flight into the night. All I can do now is hope.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Meetings

Two days and no reply. My hopes were dropping faster than a stone and it didn't help that the Dursleys were being worse than ever. Aunt Petunia had me out gardening all day in the August heat which didn't do much for my temper. I was just pulling out a particularly stubborn weed when a shadow crossed over me. I look up and freeze staring at the person in front of me. It was an elderly woman with gray hair in a bun with a particularly stern expression on her face as if she was unused to smiling. What made me stare though was what she's wearing which is a long dark robe which looks like something that went out of fashion at least a century ago.

"Professor McGonagall?" I ask after snapping out of my stupor.

"Hello Mr Potter" replied the professor. "I am here to answer some of your questions and take you to get your supplies for the new school year".

"Thank you for coming professor" replied Harry "I really do want answers. My relatives don't exactly know about any of this though. Could you come in and explain this to them".

At the mention of the Durleys' the elderly woman's eyes narrowed slightly and her lips seems to almost disappear into a thin line. Her next words nearly shocked me into silence.

"Don't be absurd Mr Potter. Of course your relatives know about Hogwarts. After all your parents went there and I know for a fact that a letter was left explaining the circumstances surrounding your parents murder and why you were left with your aunt."

She must have seen something on the look on my face as her features softened which made her look years younger. She then spoke softly.

"Everything will be explained to you in due time Harry, you have my word. We have a lot to do today and unfortunately if we stopped to talk over everything we would never get around to buying your things. That being said you wait here while I inform your relatives on where you are going for the day".

With that she turned and walked into the house closing the front door behind her. I stood there unmoving for several minutes trying to calm the hoard of thoughts whizzing through my head. The fact that my relatives knew I was a wizard did not really surprise me, not after the way they treated me over the years. What was shocking was the news about my parents. I had always believed that they had died in a car crash as my relatives had described. In that instant disgust coursed through me and I realise that this was just another one of their lies. I forced myself not to dwell on that right that minute and tried to think of the implications of what I had learnt.

The fact that my parents were murdered brought the memory of dreams filled with green light and a woman's screams to mind. It was then I knew that they weren't just dreams. They were memories. This raised even more questions in my head. How were they murdered? Who killed them? Was it the creature with the snakelike face and red eyes?

I realised that this train of thought was getting me nowhere. I would get my answers from the professor in the near future. At that thought it also occurs to me that she mentioned knowing the circumstances around my placement (imprisonment) at the Dursleys. I would have to find out more about that as well. It was at that point the professor stepped out of the front door with my aunt behind looking out from behind the door. My aunt was obviously not expecting this visit, going by her ashen face and worried look. I saw her glance at me quickly and there was a look of such loathing that I had to look away. There was a time I would have tried to get her to look at me with love and kindness. I gave up on that years ago but it surprisingly still hurt to see that look directed at me. She disappeared from view and the door slammed shut quickly afterwards.

The professor walked up to me and guided me away from the house. "I see the muggles have not changed much in the last ten years" she said softly. "I told Albus that they were the worst sort but he had his reasons for putting you there".

At these words she once again had my full attention. Albus? As in the headmaster of Hogwarts? I knew then that I needed to have a long talk with this man. I needed to know what possible reasons he could have for exiling me to ten dark years. I was distracted from my thoughts as we stopped in a near alley. The professor turned to me and then explained.

"We have to go to London to get your supplies Mr Potter and the quickest way to get there is a magical form of transportation call apparition which is where we disappear from one point in space and immediately appear in another. You will learn to do this yourself when you are older however for now I will side-along apparate you with me."

With that she took hold of my arm and the world disappeared around me in a swirl of colour. I suddenly felt as if I was being squeezed through a long tube and for a few seconds I couldn't breathe. Then as suddenly as it started, it was over. I fell to my knees trying to catch my breath. I felt the hand on my arm help me to stand.

"The first time is always the worst but it gets easier and less uncomfortable with practise and now you know what to expect when you learn to apparate yourself" the professor stated.

After I had caught my breath I looked around me and saw that we were now in another alley. I saw a side out on the road which read Charing Cross Road. The professor guided us out of the alley and lead me towards an old looking pub called "The Leaky Cauldron" which looked out of place between the other buildings. What was even stranger though was that no one walking past seemed to take another look at the place. It was if they couldn't see it at all. When I voiced this to the professor she smiled and replied explained.

"They can't see it because of the anti-muggle wards placed around the area. I'm sure you've heard of the Salem witch burnings yes?" She asked.

When I nodded she continued.

"We leaned long ago that in order to live in peace we would have to keep our presence hidden from the muggles and that it why the Statute of Secrecy was formed by the International Confederation of Wizards. You will find that nearly all wizarding locations will have these wards. Hogwarts itself has wards that would make a muggle see only a run down castle if they were ever to get that close" she explained as we stepped through the door.

The inside of the pub was surprisingly homely looking with a friendly atmosphere. Its many tables were filled with people who were chatting merrily among themselves. As we walked through the pub towards another door, the barman suddenly called out.

"Good day professor McGonagall. I hope you are well?"

"I'm very well thank you Tom. I'm just taking Mr Potter for his school supplies." She replied.

Suddenly the bar was enveloped in silence as everyone stopped talking and started to stare at us. Or more specifically at me. I started to hear whisperings break out amongst the crowd.

"It's really him?" muttered one.

"I can see his scar" said another.

At that a surge of people surrounded me with some shaking my hand and others clapping me on the back. I had never been a fan of being touched by others and I was starting to feel quite alarmed. The professor must have seen this as she suddenly stepped out in front of me and started berating the lot of them like a bunch of naughty school children. Saying that she probably had taught most of them at one point or another. It was actually amusing seeing grown men staring at their feet in shame. After she was done she led me through the back door into the yard behind the pub. This confused me as I could not see any where else to go. Maybe we were going to apparate again.

Almost in answer to my thoughts the professor took out a stick and began tapping the bricks of one wall in a particular order. She hen turned to me and said

"Remember this My Potter. Three up... Two across. This is the entrance to Diagon Alley where you will be getting your supplies".

On the second tap the wall began to move and almost collapse in on itself as the bricks moved away on their own and soon an archway opened out onto a shocking site. It was a full alley filled with old fashioned shops as far as the eye could see.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley Mr Potter" she said with amusement.

As we walked though the Alley towards a large dome roofed building at the end she spoke again.

"First stop is the wizarding bank Gringotts to get some money from your trust fund and then onto a want I think". She mused.

"Trust fund" I asked uncertainly.

"Of course trust fund. Your father was from a wealthy pure blood family and both your parents were both powerful. You don't think they left you with nothing did you?" she stated.

With that she walked into Gringotts and I hurried in after here. I stopped in my tracks. The inside of the building was majestic in its own right however it was the vicious creatures behind the counters that stopped me.

"They're goblins Mister Potter. They may not be very friendly but they're the best bankers in the wizarding world. Now come it's rude to stare."

With that I shook myself out of my stupor and followed her up to the counter. After a quick discussion with the goblin we were led by another to a cart on a set of train tracks. I soon found out that the vault system reached far under London and that this was the only way to get there. It was an extremely quick ride which I actually enjoyed quite a lot. The Durlseys had never taken me to a theme park before and I imagined that this is what a roller coaster would be like. Eventually the cart ground to a stop in front of an old looking vault. The goblin Griphook opened the vault and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The vault was huge and it was filled from floor to ceiling in a mixture of gold, silver and bronze coins which I am unfamiliar with.

"All this is mine?" I whispered in shock.

'Yes Mister Potter. That is until you turn seventeen then you will have access to your family vault" Griphook replied.

My future was suddenly looking bright indeed. I took the pouch that Griphook had provided and filled it with the strange coins. It was a this point professor McGonogall decided to speak up.

"The gold coins are Galleons, the silver are Sickles and the bronze coins are called Knuts. There are 17 Sickles to a Galleon and 29 Knuts to a Sickle. For comparison one Galleon is work five pounds" she explained.

After the journey back to the surface we stopped off at for my wand at a shop called Ollivander's. Inside we met with a silver haired old man who seemed to look straight through me.

"I knew I'd be seeing you soon Mr Potter" Ollivander stated.

"It seems like yesterday your parents were in here purchasing their first wands. Let see if we can find you a match hmm? Which is your wand arm?" he asked.

I told him I was right handed and then he was off scouring the roof high shelves collecting various boxes as he went. He then came back and handed me a wand from inside.

"Well don't just stand there boy. Give it a wave." He said impatiently.

I waved the wand and a vase in the corner suddenly blew into pieces. I knew it was going to be a long afternoon. Many wands and much damage later Ollivander came back with one more box. He carefully took the want out of the box and slowly held it out towards me.

Hesitatingly I took the want from him. The affect was instantaneous. I felt a warmth flow through me similar to the feeling of magic coursing through me when I used magic but this was so much stronger and felt right. Suddenly a bright golder light burst out of the end of the wand and I could hear beautiful music, as if sung by a bird flow around me.

"Oh yes, bravo, very good indeed and how curios!" Ollivander exclaimed excitedly. He continued on.

"Holly, 11 inches, supple with a phoenix feather as its core. I remember every wand I've ever sold Mister Potter and the phoenix who supplied the feather for yours gave just one other. It's curious that you are destined for that wand when its brother gave you that scar". He stated ominously whilst pointing to my forehead.

I am suddenly unsure if I want that wand or not but after a moment I've decided that the wand is just a tool. I've performed magic without a wand before so I know that the wand doesn't make the wizard. Saying that I will have to research the implications of the brother wands. It may provide an advantage in the future.

In the meantime professor McGonagall was looking distracted. I decided to take my chance.

"Professor now that I've got my money and wand I need to ask you something. How did my parents die?" I asked.

The old woman seemed to shrink slightly in on herself and she looked troubled for a moment before a resolved look appeared on her face.

"All right Mr Potter I will tell you however lets find a place to sit and a drink first. This will take time". We took a seat outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and the professor explained about a man named Tom Riddle who remade himself into the Dark Lord Voldemort and how he had led a blood purist war on the magical world a decade previously. I learned about his followers the Deatheaters and how they killed those whom were considered impure and of the dark mark they each bore. Finally the professor explained how he was destroyed the night he came to my parents house and that I was now famous for his downfall.

After her explanation had finished I sat there deep in thought. It didn't make sense how I could have stopped him. It was more likely that my parents had done something. Surely someone had investigated what had really happened. Maybe this Albus Dumbledore who was responsible for my being placed at the Dursleys would know? I then pondered the fact that I was now famous and more questions arose. Why was I placed with borderline abusive muggles when surely anyone would have been glad to take me in? How would this supposed fame affect my life here on out with people always expecting great feats from me?

I cast those thoughts out of my mind with practised control. I could only deal with one issue at a time and I did indeed have time to reflect on what I has learned. We then went to Flourish and Blotts to get my school books. Whilst I bought the standard curriculum books I also looked around for books on the wizarding world and was delighted to find a book which was written for muggleborns (wizards or witches born to muggles) as an introduction to the wizarding world. I also bought "Hogwarts a History". While I was buying these the professor was explainig to me the different branches of magic that I would be learning: Charms, Transfiguration and Potions to name a few. She also told me about the four houses at Hogwarts (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin), one of which I would be sorted into when I finally reached the school.

After this we quickly bought my potions supplies and headed off to buy my robes and also some new clothes to replace Dudley's hand me downs at Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. While I was there I ran into a blond haired boy called Draco Malfoy. To say the least I was not impressed by his disparaging comments against halfbloods and muggleborns though I thought it would not do make an enemy this early on in the game. He obviously did not know who I was and I was in no rush to enlighten him. After collecting my new robes and making a speedy retreat I found professor McGonagall standing outside holding a cage with a white snowy owl inside.

"Though it is a bit late, Happy Birthday Mr Potter!" She said holding the cage out to me. I took the cage and stared at the owl reverently. My first ever birthday present.

"Thank you professor!" I said as I continued looking at the owl. I felt a suspicious wetness in my eyes that I rubbed away quickly.

"Yes well don't mention this to anyone Mr Potter. I don't show favouritism towards my students you know" she said meaningfully.

"Of course professor I understand" I replied hurriedly.

With that the professor took my arm and we were suddenly whisked away through space. We arrived outside no 4 Privit Drive with a pop. The professor turned to me and handed over a train ticket and explained.

"This is your ticket for the Hogwarts Express it leaves on the morning of September 1st at platform nine and three quarters. To get onto the platform you need to walk through the wall between platforms nine and ten. I'll see you at Hogwarts." she stated. With that she turned on the spot and vanished with a pop.

I stared at Number four and thought "My life is about to get a lot more interesting".


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - The Hogwarts Express and The Sorting

The days that followed leading up to September 1st were quite bizarre. The Dursleys had decided that I was getting too big for my cupboard and allowed me the 'privilege' of using Dudley's second bedroom. I suspect that the professor said something to them about how they treat me (though she doesn't know the half of it) as my aunt has done everything she can to avoid me and every time we do bump into each other she mumbles a comment about 'Lily's eyes' and moves off in another direction. My uncle on the other hand is also behaving strangely. Whenever he sees me his face goes bright red and it looks as if he could explode at any second. Personally, I'm routing for it. Dudley on the other hand is just the same as ever or at least he was until one day when he 'accidentally' pushed me into a wall and I set his shoes on fire. Since then I haven't seen much of him which has brightened my days quite a bit.

In preperation for Hogwarts I've been reading the core texts. I know I'll be behind the pureblood students who'll have probably been taught magic for years. Apparently I'm not allowed to use magic out of school however, no one has raised the issue of my previous attempts at wandless magic and so I'm not going to stop until they do. I've managed to find reference to something called the Trace which allows the Ministry to detect under age magic. So far I haven't found any reference on how to remove it before I reach seventeen which is the coming of age for witches and wizards in the UK however, I'm not giving up.

As I read through the books I'm still amazed at the things that can be accomplished with magic. There are so many branches that exist but most are sadly not taught at Hogwarts. So far Transfiguration and Charms have been my favourites with Defence Against the Darts Arts following next. I'm a bit disappointed that apparently I can't conjure food from nothing. That would have been useful against the near starvation I'm put through here though apparently I can move food from one location to another.

I've been trying to find out how magic works but it's becoming more apparent that the wizards and witches of today don't seem to actually know much more about it now than they did centuries ago. There seems to be little to no advancement in the past hundred years apart from the odd new potion created or spell formed.

I'm not happy with some of what I've read on the history of the wizarding world. There seems be have been a great deal of bigotry surrounding blood and race which has caused several goblin rebellions and was the main driving force behind the last war with Voldemort. It's something I'll need to think about for the future. The fame I supposedly have could help in that regard. It could also be useful for making allies. But, I have plenty of time for that.

It's now September first and I managed to get my uncle to give me a lift to Kings Cross station. I basically argued that if he didn't drive me he'd be stuck with me for nine months longer than necessary. He couldn't move fast enough after that. At the station I drag my trunk through the busy crowd and get some funny looks at my owl Hedwig. I suppose there aren't many muggles who would keep an owl as a pet.

I reach the wall between platforms nine and ten and see a red haired family making their way through the barrier one at a time. I wait next to them quietly waiting for my turn to pass through. The mother of the family turns and smiles at me.

"Hogwarts too dear?" She asks kindly.

I give a quick smile and a nod and she beams back at me.

"It's Ronald's first year as well" she says nodding to another red haired, freckled boy standing next to her.

I nod at Ronald and he nods back with a smile. This could be my first friend.

"If your nervous about going through then it's best to take it at a bit of a run. I've been through before to say bye to the others. Oh, and it's Ron by the way" he says with a smirk.

"I'm Harry" I reply with a matching smirk.

"Ronald Weasley. You shouldn't be ashamed of your name!" the mother pipes in.

With a quick "Yes mum" he turns and pushes his way through the wall and vanishes from sight. I steady my breath and after an encouraging look from the mother I take a quick jog into the wall and pass straight through.

On the other side is a whole new platform with a great big red steam train. It's like Diagon Alley all over again. You could never mistake this platform for a muggle one. I see Ron trying to lift his trunk onto the train with two other red haired twins whom I assume to be his brothers watching. I move over to them and ask if they need any help.

The twins turn and grin at me. One of them shakes his head and says.

"No its fine thanks. We're having fun watching ickle Ronnies attempts to lift it by himself" he smirks with mischief in his eyes.

"I'm Fred by the way and this other handsome chap is George" he states grinning at his twin.

The other twin flashes a quick smile at me and turns back to watching Ron struggle.

I can see the funny side of it but I've been on the wrong end of too many similar situations to let it continue.

"Why don't you just use the levitation charm" I ask them.

"Where's the fun in that?" they return cheakily.

I sigh, take out my wand and hope I get this right as I've never practised this with a wand before.

"Wingardium Leviosa" I call out steadily with a swish and flick of my wand. Surprisingly the trunk actually begins to rise off the ground. With a steady hand I guide the trunk onto the train.

"Thank a lot!" Ron says gratefully.

George turns and grins at me.

"Oh well, we needed to get a move on anyway. Not a bad levitation charm for an ickle firstie. Tell me are you interested in pranks?" He asks.

"I've never really thought about it to be honest. I'm normally on the wrong side of them" I reply back.

"Shame that. Oh well if you ever change your mind let us know" he states.

With that both twins disappear off down the platform to talk with some of the other students.

I follow Ron onto the train and he turns and asks

"Do you want to share a compartment?"

"Sure" I reply back.

After we're seated and the rain moves off Ron turns to me again and asks

"So, are you a muggleborn?"

I shake my head

"No, my parents were both magical though I grew up with muggles. Though I didn't know about the magical world util just a few weeks ago".

"Wow, I can't imagine not knowing about magic. What was it like growing up with muggles?" he asks.

I don't know him well enough yet to go into details so I just reply.

"It wasn't fun. They don't like magic and so they don't like me either."

We fall into a comfortable silence watching the scenery pass by and it suddenly hits me that I won't have to see the muggles for nine months. I run a hand through my hair in frustration that I forgot that so easily when I suddenly hear a gasp.

I turn and Ron is staring at me.

"Your Harry Potter!" he states with a tone of incredulity.

"Last time I checked" I reply back with a grin.

He still looks a bit shocked and the silence seems to trail on so I ask him about what it's like growing up with magic.

The rest of the trip followed in a similar manner with use both passing stories back and forth. The only interruption was when a brown bushy haired girl entered the compartment asking if they'd seen a toad.

The girls name was Hermione Granger and apparently she was a muggleborn. The girls knowledge seems impressive for someone new to the magical world although she seems a bit uptight. After I told her we hadn't seen a toad but that we'd keep an eye open for it, she left the compartment to continue her search.

Eventually the sky turns dark as the sun sets and before we know it the train is pulling into the wizarding village next to Hogwarts called Hogsmeade. I hurry to quickly change into my robes and quickly follow the others off the train. I'm about to ask Ron where we're supposed to go when a giant of a man with a great big bead calls out for the first years. He introduces himself as Hagrid the grounds-keeper of Hogwarts and guides with a smile onto a set of boats which sit on a great lake.

Just as I wonder if we're supposed to row, the boat starts to move by itself. We slowly make out way across the water, turn round a bend and suddenly my breath freezes in my chest as the school comes into view. I read in Hogwarts a history that it was a castle but I never expected the shear size of it. It was majestic, resting on the top of a cliff overshadowing the lake. I couldn't contain the excitement that flared inside me and it looks as if the other first years felt the same way as more whispers and gasps of awe reached me across the water.

When the boats finally dock at the other side of the lake I get out of the boat and see professor McGonagall waiting for use at the bottom of a great flight of stone steps. She welcomes us and leads us up the stairs whilst explaining the house system to those who don't know it. I catch her eye briefly and she gives me a rare smile. At the top of the stairs is the entrance to the castle and just inside is the Great Hall. The professor leads us in and tells us to wait where we are until our names are called.

As I wait I take a moment to look around me. I see that the ceiling of the Great Hall is indeed charmed to show the sky outside and is also filled with hundreds if not thousands of floating candles. I see the different house tables rsting under their house colours. Red and gold for Gryffindor, silver and green for Slytherin, Blue and brown for Ravenclaw and Yellow and Black for Hufflepuff.

At the far end of the great hall lies the staff table which is already filled with the school professors. In the middle I see a Merlin lookalike whom I assume to be the headmaster Albus Dumbledore with a long silver beard and purple robes with silver stars on them. His eyes find mine and he winks at me before turning to speak to the man sitting next to him. This man was a complete contract to the headmaster. He had on pitch black robes and looked as if he hadn't smiled in a very long time. He also had shoulder length black hair and a crooked nose which made his features harsher than what they could have been. His onyx eyes met mine and for a moment a see a look of complete shock on his face before he schools his features and gifts me with a glare. In that instant for the first time ever I feel a stinging pain shoot through my scar. I gasp and bring my hand to my forehead furiously rubbing the scar to try and get rid of the pain. I'd have to watch out for this one. I ask one of the older students who he is and find out his name is the head of Slytherin called Serverous Snape and that he teached potions. I'm not looking forward to classes with him.

I focus my gaze on the man next to him. This one seems to be frightened of his own shadow, twitching or jumping whenever one of the other professors speak to him. He's wearing an odd looking turban which doesn't suite him at all. I don't know why but something about this guy puts me on edge. More so that even professor Snape. He glances at me and for an instant I think I glimpse a calculating look on his face before it is gone and the previous panicked look returns. It happened so quickly that I wasn't sure if I imagined it or not. Never less I'd learned over the years that adults weren't to be trusted so I would watch out for him as well.

Just then Professor McGonagall clears her throat and the hall falls into silence. She then describes how in order to be sorted we will have to try on a hat which is charmed to sort us into our house where we would remain for the next seven years. Then amazingly the a mouth opens up in the hat and it begins to sing. I'd seen feats of magic before but I'd never seen anything like this. After the song I clapped as hard as any of the others. One by one professor McGonagall calls out the new first years names. Each called would sit with the hat on their head, some for an instance others for minutes at a time before the hat would call out one of the house names. Vaguely I notice that Hermione has been sorted into Gryffindor.

Finally my name is called and I nearly groan aloud as the hall falls into silence and stares from the other students burn into me. The whole fame thing hadn't really set in before now. I'd had a glimpse in the Leaky Cauldron and also from Ron on the Hogwarts Express but now it hit home that everyone would be watching what I would be doing from that point onwards.

I sit on the stool provided and my nerves spike as the hat is lowered. What if I'm not good enough? What if my relatives are right and I'm just a worthless freak? Would the hat refuse to sort me?

Just then I hear a voice inside my head whisper.

"Why not let me be the judge of if your good enough or not hmm? I have sorted thousands of students over the years and I have never turned a student away." The voice continued.

"Now lets see what we have to work with. Hmm, a good mind no doubt about that. Ravenclaw is a possibility but no you don't learn for learning sake but to accomplish your goals so not Ravenclaw. Difficult, very difficult. You have lots of bravery and you'd do anything for your friends but you don't give your trust lightly and understandably so. That rules Hufflepuff out I'm afraid. So that leaves Gruffindor or Slytherin. You have great ambitions and a thirst to prove yourself. You want to be great but you aren't willing to harm others to achieve your goals. My boy I've not seen such a contradiction like this in a long time. Do you have a preference?"

I considered the hats words and knew this would be a turning point for me. Would I follow the path to power and cunning in the house of the snake or the path of bravery and friendship in the house of the Gryffin. I glanced at the Gryffindor table and saw the Weasley twins sitting there watching me expectantly. I then realised why should I need to choose either? I could accomplish my ambitions in any house not just the one renowned for it. I made my choice.

"I see, yes, there's no doubt about it now. Good look to you My Potter in the House of... GRYFFINDOR" cried the hat.

The hall burst into applause and the Gryffindors' were out of their seats racing to shake my hand as I joined them at their table. I looked up to the staff table to see the headmaster beaming as he raised his glass to me. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I feel wanted. Some time later I realised that Ron had also been sorted into Gryffindor much to my delight.

After the sorting, I gorged myself on the feast provided. I hadn't eaten so well in years. By the time desert arrived I was nearly falling asleep in my seat. The headmaster then took his queue to lead us through the school song and then the feast was over and we were being let our separate ways to our house dormitories. We seems to climb many sets of stairs to finally arrive in front of a portrait with a fat lady inside. To my shock the painted lady began to move and asked for a password. One of the older prefects spoke the correct password and the portrait opened up to reveal an entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

The common room itself had a very welcoming feel to it with red and gold coloured furniture which consisted of several comfortable looking couched and armchairs and a great big fireplace. I could see myself spending a lot of time here.

I followed the other first year boys up the stairs into my dormitory to find several large canopy beds. I found the one with my trunk in front of it and collapsed onto it for the night. As I drifted off I thought on my future and how my life had turned around. For the first time in many years I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.


End file.
